[trans] Onew <GQ> Interview (October, 2016)
※ Do not re-translate into another language
Very likely to have errors in translations here and there, but enjoy!
We met during an interview photoshoot called ’The 21st Century Boys’ in <GQ> 6 years ago. We started the interview talking about the name ‘Onew’. Do you think you have spent time worthy of that name?
O: Past or present, I think it’s a name that suits me well.
You had ups and downs such as working in many different fields, going through vocal cord polyp surgery and also a experiencing an ankle injury recently too. Even considering all that, you still think so?
O: I once thought, I should live like this thanks to my name. So, I was able to correct myself when I was practicing a little less or doing something wrong trivially. I liked this name and wanted to protect it.
What happened during the recent concert?
O: It was a part where I had to head to the front of the stage after jumping on the spot and I felt weak in the knees. I sprained my ankle pretty bad because I was wearing dress shoes. The pain rushed in after singing my part sitting down along with the thought of, ah I shouldn’t be like this right here.
You sang the last song in that state right?
O: ‘Everybody’ is a meaningless song if it’s not 5 members. With the thought that I must go on stage, I went up with the bandage wrapped around with my shoe on. I slowly walked stepping on one foot and Taemin grabbed me asking “You’re okay, right?” I was supposed to stand on the opposite side of the entrance but Taemin went instead saying “Hyung stay here, I’ll go”. I felt touched that time. Key, Jonghyun and Minho asked whether I’m okay and I felt touched each of that time too. The ‘fighting’ movement at the last part wasn’t planned. It just came out spur of the moment. I was angry at myself because it felt like I ruined everything and I felt sorry to the audience, staffs and members. But all the anger, resentment and feeling of sorry all disappeared after doing that stage. In fact, I thought I could withstand any kind of hardships if I am with these friends. There was a time when I was asked whether I would choose to be in SHINee again if I were to reborn and I replied, half in jest, half in earnest, that I would if it consisted of these members. That suddenly flashed across in my mind.
Considering that you said yourself that you have no tears, don’t you think you have so many episodes related to tears? The hottest topic in the drama <Descendants of the Sun> was your crying act too.
O: Well, I spit out the thoughts according to the circumstance. So it might not necessarily be that way. But acting is a little different. I cry as if I have really lost someone.
Actors usually say they think of sad things that they have experienced so far when they have to act crying. Are you like that too?
O: I don’t really have that kind of thing but I just sink into that situation. For Lee Chihoon in the drama <Descendants of the Sun>, he thinks the people who are being carried out from the site are real people. I try to focus thinking, I have to save this person, and this person who is so dear to someone else is going to die.
You are someone who’s faithful to the scene, right?
O: Yes, I really can’t plan things. Really, I can bet myself. Haha.
But you must have expectations for the future too right? You would seek many different paths while you’re anticipating.
O: I don’t decide on something and focus on it. I just want to do something while having fun in the given situation. In some ways, it’s indecisive. But I try my best. If I give an example with the drama, I read the script throughout the day and think about only that. I read the whole script from episode 1 to 16 again every 2~3 days. I try to grasp the meaning as a whole and define it. There are many times when it’s different from rehearsals or when it’s new scenes so all I can prepare is to think of many different things that I can do in that moment as much as I can. Something within me comes out when I continue practicing like that and communicate with actors on site.
I think you were able to do well with the things that were very different to one another because of your personality. I heard you are a big fan of food, it must be hard to eat well when you’re working like that right?
O: I eat so much that even I get worried about myself once I start eating. I don’t eat when I have a schedule because I don’t want to look plump on screen but when I don’t have schedule…. Ah, you can eat at the right time for drama shooting, so that was really good.
I think you’re such a positive person.
O: I get angry if I’m not.
What do you mean by angry?
O: I really dislike watching someone who is showing his irritation next to me. The whole atmosphere is spoiled because of that one person. I don’t see why I have to feel low when it’s not my fault. So I don’t get angry. There are few times that I chafed just a little when I’m busy and things were hectic but I apologized right away.
We can’t feel good all the time.
O: You can only feel good when it’s good. Rather than trying to impress someone, liking that moment is more important to me.
It would be good when you are always feeling good but are you really like that. Realistically, it’s more important to know how to let that anger out when you’re angry.
O: If I get angry, that means something has really been poured out. Other than those times, I don’t say anything about it at that time even if I feel angry. Just letting that one moment pass will allow me to approach first and say sorry. You just have to avoid that moment.
So that is Onew’s good way of getting angry.
Can you give us a hint about the album that will be released soon? In the past, SHINee was the type to persuade other people with a very challenging song and choreography but I think you now know how to approach in a relaxed and soft way as time goes by. Can this be seen as the flow so far?
O: Well, we are a contemporary band. I think this song could feel friendly or people might think ‘what’s this?’ I don’t know. I really don’t know what the current general public likes.
I remember hearing the expression ‘contemporary band’ 6 years ago too. But now, the word ‘contemporary’ has each of its different definition.
O: That’s why I really don’t know. Sometimes things that are like ‘would this work?’ become songs too.
Just like how (SHINee’s) songs have become more relaxed, does SHINee feel more relaxed too?
O: Yes because we have done so many stages now. I think you cannot ignore the experience.
I heard you don’t really have a specific hobby, did you not grow one along with feeling relaxed too?
O: It’s not feeling relaxed in terms of how much work but about mind. My biggest interest recently is my workroom.
O: Yes. I use it on my own. I really love it. There is always someone at the dorm. But I don’t like it when other people see what I haven’t finished preparing. My viewpoint in music has changed too as I think and practice on my own.
O: I dare say that the upcoming album is a little different from the previous albums. I think I sang it having to understand more and practice more compared to the past.
Is practice the thing you do the most in your workroom?
O: Listening to music. I drink coffee with the music on, I drink alcohol with the music on, I invite my friends and talk with the music on. I hardly searched songs to listen to after singer has become my career but I have searched to listen to this song and that song again.
They say the process of one’s growth is generally the same. If we apply this to artists, they usually jump on the job relying only their energy because they are blindly in love with it and after gradually building up skills and be skilled at it, they finally earn what they can call ‘mine’. Do you think you have something you can call ‘mine’ right now?
O: I don’t have anything to declare that it’s ‘mine’ yet. But after gaining experience and feeling relaxed, there are times when comfortable movements, expressions and singing come out and I feel that those times are what can be called as the ‘best’. It’s not something like ‘I’m going to relax’ but I reach that moment when I work hard trying to have fun.
Does that moment come often?
O: Occasionally. Haha. In the past, I thought ‘How am I going to do this’ because my heart felt like it will explode when I’m on stage. But now, I go up on stage thinking I hope everyone play around and have fun. I could say a change of thought has taken place. My heart still feels like it will explode but the starting point is different. What I can say for sure is that there are times when it makes me think that all five members have become one mind on stage. Sometimes I feel like, they must have really gone crazy?
It sounds like a miracle moment.
O: I felt like if I were to let go of myself in this moment, I would be able to feel everything. It’s an unpleasant example but ‘Everybody’ during this concert was like that. Other members looked like they clenched their teeth trying to put forth their energy to support no matter what because I was up on stage injured. I gained energy being motivated by that.
Perhaps injuring your leg may be a blessing in disguise?
O: Release date of the album has been postponed because I injured my leg so I wouldn’t go so far as to say that…
That sounds like an answer that cannot be said by a boy.
O: It is right? Well, maybe it’s experience. Haha.
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